White Christmas
}} |coverA = 4-White Christmas.jpg |released = December 23, 1998 |pages = 22 |series = Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic |number = 4 |previous = Cold Turkey |next = Happy New Year |publisher = Dark Horse Comics |writer = Andi Watson |penciller = Hector Gomez |editor = Scott Allie |coverart = Hector Gomez & Guy Major |inker = Sandu Florea |colorist = Guy Major |letterer = Janice Chiang |coverB = 4-White Christmas photo cover.jpg }} is the fourth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Classic comic book series. Written by Andi Watson and illustrated by Hector Gomez, it was originally published on December 23, 1998 by Dark Horse Comics. Synopsis Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open slay! The comics adaption of the hit television show continues as the Yuletide rolls into Sunnydale. A puzzling heat wave is the least of Buffy's concerns when she realizes she does not possess the monetary means to afford the holiday season (or a new dress for the Winter Dance!). To add insult to injury, she is forced to get a job in the mall to pay for her expenditures. All would be well, though, if she didn't have to wear a paper hat and if her employer wasn't quite so “cold” toward her…“Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4”. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved January 6, 2018. Summary Buffy is battling a vampire at the local burger drive in. After slaying the demon half-breed, she is faced with the owner of the car that was mangled in the process. The next day at school, Buffy complains to Giles that she can't afford to buy Christmas presents or an outfit for the school dance, since she has to pay for damages done to the car. When Buffy talks about getting a job, Giles is adamantly against it. Buffy finds herself at the local mall, where she has a job at Popsicle Parlor and wears an uniform of pink apron and hat. Her coworker, Felicia, joins Buffy in complaining that no cool guy will date her after seeing her in the outfit. Felicia thinks the new boss is weird, but the pay is good enough for her to do the work. Mr. Richter, the new boss, comes in and makes excuses to go into the freezer in his grey suit and tie. Buffy thinks it odd that he isn't wearing more appropriate clothing for freezing weather, while Felicia points out he isn't even breaking a sweat in the winter current heatwave in Sunnydale. Angel comes by to see Buffy, and ends up going to the mall's skating rink with her. A job perk that makes Buffy very happy. Meanwhile, Mr. Richter hasn't left and is summoning an elemental in the freezer. Just as Buffy falls into Angel on the rink, the elemental comes after them. Buffy fights it off while Angel finds a heat source and the elemental is made no more by a food court pizza oven. The next day, Buffy has to come clean to Giles and the Scooby Gang that she is working at the mall. Back at the mall for her next shift, Giles comes to see Buffy just after Mr. Richter makes excuses to go into the freezer again. Shift over, Buffy goes to do her Christmas shopping and buy her dress for the dance. She realizes she has to change at the mall in order to make it to the dance on it. After she changes, she realizes the mall is freezing and that the cold originates at the popsicle stand. Going inside, she realizes Mr. Richter is still there and is summoning a larger, more powerful elemental. Buffy breaks the enchantment before Richter could bind the demon, and it proceeds to destroy the mall as it fights Buffy. Willow, Xander, Giles, Oz, and Cordelia show up in formal attire looking for Buffy, since she was late to be picked up. Buffy fights for and gets the spellbook from the elemental, while the Scoobies pour antifreeze over the demon. Richter runs away, the mall exploded and everyone is left with rags instead of their school dance finery. Making the best of it, the gang get to enjoy a White Christmas outside the mall, complete with snowman and sled rides. Continuity *As Willow and Oz, and Cordelia and Xander are still couples, the events from this story takes place previous to their separations in "Lovers Walk", in the Christmas of 1997 (instead of the year of publication date). *Buffy gets at a job in customer food service, as she would have in the next year at Helen's Kitchen ("Anne"), years later at Doublemeat Palace ("Doublemeat Palace"), then at Pick Me Up (Last Gleaming, Part Five). *Buffy and Angel go ice skating, as they've first went together in Sunnydale Ice Palace ("What's My Line? Part One"). Appearances Individuals *Angel *Cordelia Chase *Drusilla *Felicia *Rupert Giles *Alexander Harris *Daniel Osbourne *Richter *Willow Rosenberg *Spike *Buffy Summers Organizations and titles *Dingoes Ate My Baby *Scooby Gang *Slayer Species *Elemental demon *Human *Vampire Events *Christmas *Winter Dance Locations *Central Angola *Sunnydale, United States **Bronze **Hellmouth **Out-N-In-Burger **Sunnydale High School library **Sunnydale Mall ***The Arcade ***Popsicle Parlor ***Texas Pizza Ranch Weapons and objects *Slayer Handbook *Spellbook *Stake Death count *An unidentified vampire, staked by Buffy Summers. *The first elemental demon, thrown and burnt at an oven by Buffy and Angel. *The second elemental and Mr. Richter, banished by Buffy. Behind the scenes Production *The photo cover features a promotional still taken from episode "When She Was Bad". *Differently from other representations, at this point the comics had vampires also able to transform into green creatures with red eyes, pointy ears, a wide mouth, and long teeth. Although, this seems more like an artistic choice, not having direct consequence to the stories. Distribution *'' '' was the 38th best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 51,805 sales in December 1998 at comic specialty stores.“December 1998 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops”. Comichron. Retrieved August 24, 2018. Collections *''Uninvited Guests'' *''Omnibus: Volume 3'' *''Classic 16: White Christmas'' *''Buffy the Vampire Slayer Legacy Edition, Book 1'' Goofs, bloopers & continuity errors *The mall is shown as the "Sunnyvale" rather than Sunnydale Mall. Pop culture references *Angel mentions the fictional place Wonderland. *Buffy compares the ice demon to Gremlins. *Xander mentions the discount store Target. International titles *'Russian:' Ледяные чудовища (Ice Monsters) Gallery Covers 4-White Christmas.jpg|Main cover 4-White Christmas photo cover.jpg|Photo cover Classic White Christmas.jpg|Classic #16 cover Cover artwork BC-04-00b.jpg|Hector Gomez 2x01 001.jpg|Original picture International covers BC-04-RU.jpg|Cover in Russia Preview Buffy4p1.jpg Buffy4p2.jpg Buffy4p3.jpg References nl:White Christmas Category:Buffy comics Category:Dark Horse Classic